jazz man

Holding his mallets at the ready and focused on his music, senior Michael Harris stands ready to play in fifth hour Jazz Band. The members of this class meet with professional musician Matt McKeever a couple times per month to help improve their musicianship and encourage them to take on more difficult pieces of music. Photo by Avah Pauck.

Pro Provides New Perspective

Matt McKeever helps jazz musicians improve their craft

By Matthew Rupp

Staff Reporter

On every other Wednesday, Mr. Matt McKeever leads the rhythm section through a basic B flat blues progression as he plays a jazzy saxophone solo over top of it. FHC’s jazz students follow by playing a short solo. Mr. McKeever shows the students it’s not hard to play a solo and that is why Mr. Nathan Griffin has brought Mr. McKeever, who is a professional musician, into the classroom.

Mr. Griffin has known Mr. McKeever for many years as a former band director who stopped teaching after this past school year. Mr. Griffin took a clinic led by Mr. McKeever in January after he stopped teaching and knew he could be a great person to help his students.

“He understands education and the way it works,” Mr. Griffin said. “So having that knowledge base, too, just really helps, because I think that’s going to prepare us even more when he’s here.”

Mr. McKeever really values teaching young musicians and prides himself everytime he helps a student. After his first clinics at FHC, McKeever has enjoyed helping out our students already.

“The students were very receptive and already had a good understanding of some of the things I planned to cover, so I’m excited to move on to some more advanced things,” Mr. McKeever said.

One student Mr. McKeever has helped already is junior Noah Layman, who is a saxophonist in sixth hour jazz ensemble. Layman has received clinics from other musicians through other groups at FHC.

“It’s a new perspective in the program. It’s new information, even if it’s old information. It’s told to us in a different way and allows us more perspective,” Layman said.

For some improvisation is freedom to express themselves or to others a hindrance that causes lots of anxiety. Mr. Griffin wants to eliminate that anxiety.

“I would say that was one thing we can always improve upon. And it’s such a delicate thing. Such a hard concept to learn,” Mr. Griffin said. “I want there to be confidence where they know going into a solo.”

Improvisation is a foundation of jazz music and can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different jazz musicians. Mr. Griffin has been teaching jazz for many years and has always encouraged his students to take a solo. “Improvisation is sort of the difference maker for jazz music. It is, you know, in a sense, it’s what kind of sets jazz music apart from other things you know,” Griffin said.

Layman can already tell that his approach to soloing has changed already only after one lesson with Mr. McKeever.

“It’s [improvisation] very important. I’d say, I think, at least 50 percent of what jazz is you have music and then you have solos and those solos really, they’re the things that make those pieces interesting,” Layman said.

Mr. McKeever sees jazz as a way to express oneself creatively and allow for uniqueness not seen in other forms of music.

“Improvisation is what makes jazz so unique and exciting — you never know what is going to happen!” Mr. McKeever said.

Keeping their eyes focused on their music, trumpet player Brady Bounds and saxophone player Caden Scott practice during fifth hour Jazz Band class. Photo by Avah Pauck.